The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: SavageU on January 28, 2024, 04:59:44 pm
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I've a pregnant ewe (maybe triplets) and two of her feet are not great. I've brought her in and her back foot needs clipping no problem there, but her front it seems to be more her leg as in it looks a bit bendy? No strength in it. We think she might have a tear in the foot, which I can spray, but that wont help her build muscle strength back up.
She's been fed ewe nuts, coarse grain, hay and has access to a mineral lick.
It looks marginally better than it did on Monday, but not massively.
Is there a drench or anything I could give her? Plan is to get her feet clipped and sprayed and then refer to vet if no real improvement.
In terms of spray I got some kind of tar spray, is that good for protecting (like a plaster)?
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Is she close to lambing? If so, I'd probably try to give her everything she needs close by so she doesn't need to do much walking. And I certainly wouldn't be tipping her up to trim feet, but if you can do it with her relaxed and comfortable standing, and support her as you lift her foot, then if you're sure you know what she needs and that she needs it now, before she lambs, then ok.
Any woman who's been pregnant will tell you that as you get larger, your feet *hurt*! And carrying triplets, your ewe will really be feeling the extra weight. It's very common to have (mentally or physically) marked a ewe for a pedicure once she's lambed, because she seemed a bit - or a lot - lame beforehand, only to find she's 100% sound the minute the lambs are out.
The way you're describing her leg looking bendy, I think I might, once she's lambed and sound, still try to work out what could have happened, and depending on what you find, be open to not breeding from her again. Having had triplets once she's quite likely to do it again, and if there's something about that leg that can't take the weight of near to full term triplets, then she's maybe best not asked to do it again.
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Firstly, don’t trim her feet, it will likely hinder her recovery. An injection of anti inflammatory from the vet is a good idea at the very minimum. Keep her in until she’s sound. I don’t tip them over when in lamb like sally says, but I do give anti inflammatory and an injectable antibiotic, as in my experience my ewes have problems with footrot especially in such a wet winter like the one we’ve had, and if they’re off their feet for too long they’re very likely to get twin lamb, as they’re not eating.
If in doubt or you’re not sure what’s causing the lameness, get the vet to have a look
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I'm third for not tipping her until after she has lambed.
For me, it's a no for tar spray
Absolute yes for inflacam / metcam injection
Don't over feed her either !
Good luck
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I missed the tar spray- no, get some blue antibiotic spray from your vet.
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Stockholm tar is fab for protecting a *clean* foot. But it needs to definitely be clean first.
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Just to update, both the ewes that were of concern now seem far better for being inside.
The one that was very unsteady, is now weight bearing on it a lot more and walking normally and seems to have regained strength in her actual leg. I think she needed dry straw and some access to good grain to resolve it, I don't think she needs an injection of anything. No concerns about twin lamb - she is up and eating with the rest of them. That said, I think it is twins in there.
I wouldn't be tipping her, just lying down whilst she's down with someone helping to keep her there.
I will have a proper inspection once she's lambed and can spray with blue spray and trim for her. I think whatever it was, it got exacerbated by wet fields and steep hills (and being heavily pregnant). The rest and being brought in seems to have done the trick
Thank you for all the feedback on the tar spray. I can clean her foot easily enough inside with water.